Building Trust in the Workplace

 Trust is foundational in any successful organization, as it spurs engagement and productivity, as well as overall employee satisfaction. As a result of trusting leadership and believing that their company is forthright, employees will be more committed and invested in the success of their jobs. Building and maintaining trust becomes essential for HR leaders, together with other enabling organizational culture elements, which support both personal and professional growth. Research explores how trust directly impacts the engagement of an employee, including that the more employees trust their leaders, the higher the morale and the lower the turnover (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002).In this blog, we will explore the key ways in which HR leaders can leverage trust-building within a workplace.

One of the best ways in which HR leaders can create trust is through transparency brought about by open communications. Where relevant information is available, and employees feel informed of organizational goals, changes, or decisions that touch on their job, they are likely to feel that their leaders are more trustworthy (Tourish & Robson, 2006). According to Men's (2014) study, employees who perceive organizational communication to be transparent exhibit higher levels of trust and engagement. Good ways to do this include having regularly scheduled team meetings, an open-door policy where subordinates are at liberty to approach superiors, and timely communications regarding company updates. This can help HR leaders facilitate the development of open cultures by employees and managers, giving a voice to the employees and making them more secure in their faith in the organization.

The second most significant driver is the expression of consistency and fairness. Trust flows from leaders who act respectfully with everyone, regardless of status or role, in a fair and principled manner (Colquitt et al., 2001). Consistent behavior, especially in decision-making processes, develops a sense of dependability and stability that means a great deal to the workforce. Fairness can be guaranteed through the consistent application of policies and objectivity in every interaction of the HR leaders. Holding themselves and others to the same standards, HR leaders reinforce a culture of fairness and equality that's strongly linked in research to trust in leadership (Brockner et al., 2005).

Another very important aspect is to make employees participate and listen to their suggestions for building trust. When employees have the feeling that their voices are being heard, it leads to employees trusting leaders and feeling more connected with an organization's mission (Detert & Burris, 2007). Open forums, anonymous surveys, and routine one-on-one meetings afford opportunities for employees to express opinions and concerns and to feel more connected to the organization in so doing. According to Edmondson (1999), those who view themselves as being in a psychologically safe environment are likely to trust leadership and be more fully engaged in the workplace. It is through active listening to feedback from employees and responding with action when possible that leaders create trust.

Other ways to instill trust include investment in employee development. When employees feel that the organization is invested in their future, they are more apt to trust their leaders and be committed to the organization (Kuvaas & Dysvik, 2009). Specifically, they can offer development in the form of training opportunities, mentorship programs, and job progression pathways. In facilitating employee development in terms of skill-building and career aspirations, HR leaders are thereby committed to the workforce in their process of creating loyalty and ensuring trust within the workforce.

Recognition and reward also play an integral part in terms of trust-building. Those employees who perceive that their work contributions are valued are more likely to believe that they are trusted by the organization (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Informal and formal ways of recognition, such as employee awards, thank you notes, or public acknowledgments in meetings, greatly build appreciation and gratitude. Fully recognizing employees' efforts always will keep the atmosphere positive and trusting, thereby leading toward increased motivation and job satisfaction.

Trust cannot be built in the workplace by accident; rather, it requires continuous strategic effort on the part of the HR leader. Through transparency, consistency, and fairness, through encouragement of feedback, investment in development, and recognition of effort, an atmosphere can be created in which trust thrives. As valued and respected employees become increasingly engaged, productive, and committed, the result is long-term success for the organization. Of course, trust comes not only as a boon to employees but also as an essential element in building a resilient, innovative, and tight workplace culture.

References:

Brockner, J., Siegel, P.A., Daly, J.P., Tyler, T. & Martin, C., 2005. When trust matters: The moderating effect of outcome favorability. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42(3), pp.558-583.

Colquitt, J.A., Conlon, D.E., Wesson, M.J., Porter, C.O.L.H. & Ng, K.Y., 2001. Justice at the millennium: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of organizational justice research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), pp.425-445.

Detert, J.R. & Burris, E.R., 2007. Leadership behavior and employee voice: Is the door really open? Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), pp.869-884.

Dirks, K.T. & Ferrin, D.L., 2002. Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), pp.611-628.

Edmondson, A., 1999. Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), pp.350-383.

Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S. & Sowa, D., 1986. Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), pp.500-507.

Kuvaas, B. & Dysvik, A., 2009. Perceived investment in employee development, intrinsic motivation, and work performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 19(3), pp.217-236.

Men, L.R., 2014. Strategic internal communication: Transformational leadership, communication channels, and employee satisfaction. Management Communication Quarterly, 28(2), pp.264-284.

Tourish, D. & Robson, P., 2006. Sensemaking and the distortion of critical upward communication in organizations. Journal of Management Studies, 43(4), pp.711-730.